The Soundtrack Of Life
by TheDeep
Summary: This is my second unofficial playing of the Shuffle Challenge. I decided the first try could use serious improvement, so I did it again. And I must say... I felt much more prepped this time. Enjoy! Five songs, five little snippets! Majorly Mac-focused, with one Mac/Peyton, and the rest... more so a SMacked-centric land. :)


**~ Author's Notes ~**

**Okay, so this is my second "go 'round" of the Shuffle Challenge, despite never signing up for it officially. I loved the idea, and I did this a while ago, but I decided to do it again when I got bored one day. I only did five songs here, so I might write more later to an actual playlist I made. For this round, I focused a lot more on Mac, and I'm thinking that, if I do write more, I want to do some more like my first snippet here with Mac & Peyton. I watched "Silent Night" again last night... and ohhhhhh maaaaaaaaa Gooooooddddddd... That episode will never cease to make me cry and totally melt to an emotional blob. XD If I do write more, I'll just add it as another chapter. If you want, I included song title, song artist, and album, to make your search for these songs a little easier if you wanted to find them. (If you're anything like me, you'll make a playlist and listen to the songs named here as you read. XD I just did this tonight with the songs I included at the beginning of the chapters of my story, "Experience," and I put them in order of the chapters... I never cease to amuse myself... Hmm... I'll let you read now... Sorry. XD)**

**~ Song One: **_**Jesus, Take The Wheel**_** by Carrie Underwood from **_**Some Hearts**_

"Long day?"

The question made him look up and he flashed a tired smile when he saw her. Her brown hair was still pulled back in a ponytail, and she looked just about as tired as he felt. "When hasn't it been?" he asked.

Her soft chuckle was enough to make his smile come a little easier and she walked over to him, snaking a hand gently around his shoulders as he closed his locker before looking over at her to meet his blue-green eyes with her soft brown ones.

"I was thinking you, me, and a movie?" she asked, a hopeful look in her eyes as she raised a shoulder suggestively. "Dinner?"

He smiled some more. "Peyton," he breathed with a sigh, "You, my dear, have some wonderful convincing skills."

Peyton beamed and placed a quick kiss on his cheek, both hands on his shoulders now. "I know," she said, shooting a look at him before she turned on her heels and started to walk out, "Meet me in the garage. I'm driving. You look tired."

And with that, she left him standing there for a few moments longer, smiling in pure amusement at her brightness even after the trying day.

**~ Song Two: **_**Hope On The Rocks**_** by Toby Keith from **_**Hope On The Rocks (Deluxe Version)**_

He ignored his ringing cell phone again, distant and troubled eyes taking in the city outside of windows of his apartment. Life had finally hit him too hard, and he was waving a hand in flat-out surrender.

As quickly as the phone silenced, it was ringing again, and he sighed heavily as he looked over his shoulder with a glare at the device. _Right now is not the greatest time, Stell… Not now._

He let out something between a frustrated growl and another sigh before he walked over and slipped the phone from off of the table, turning it off before abandoning it on the kitchen counter next to a lone bottle of Scotch.

He shot a look at the bottle before he nearly rolled his eyes and retreated to the bedroom. He soon was settled down, his guitar rested across his lap as he leaned against the headboard, studying the gray clouds above the city for a few moments before he started playing. Nothing in particular, but… anything to express the loss besides words would work. And this seemed best.

**~ Song Three: **_**You**_** by Jeff Gutt from **_**Humanity**_

"Just stop, okay?" she finally snapped, shooting a glare at him over her shoulder and slapping his hand away from her shoulder harshly. "I'll be fine!"

He recoiled away from her, hurt layering in his eyes. It nearly covered his concern and he looked like he was frozen, unsure of how to react to her.

She took a few steps further away from him, gnawing on her lip.

"Stella… Please… Just talk to me." The near-pleading tone of his voice made her have to close her eyes as she felt tears threaten to override her.

She forced herself to look back at him to see he'd taken a seat on one of the benches in the locker room, looking at her with something different in his eyes now. Ages of experience and understanding were now conflicting with his current sea of emotions in those ever-clear blue-toned eyes of his.

She sighed finally in defeat, her shoulders sagging as she sank onto the bench closest to her. "How?" she asked, looking over at him again, pushing a few of her brown curls back behind her ear so she could see him clearly.

He shook his head a bit, even shrugging his shoulders. "I can't answer that, Stella," he murmured, looking away from her. His gaze was distant now. "That's something we all have to figure out for ourselves."

**~ Song Four: **_**Daylight**_** by Maroon 5 from **_**Overexposed (Deluxe Version)**_

He heard her let out a long sigh as they both heard the cursing whine of their phones. She rested her head on his shoulders, her face against his neck.

He sighed quietly himself, putting an arm around her shoulders for a few more precious moments.

"I really hate mornings," she muttered, an almost pouty frown on her face when she pushed back her hair from her face, her eyes narrowed as she shot a glare at the digital clock on his nightstand.

He smirked softly, placing a soft kiss on her forehead before he reluctantly pulled his hands away from her and reached over to retrieve his phone from the nightstand.

When he handed her her own phone she managed a small smile before she checked the message the phone had been trying to tell them about.

For a moment, they both looked at their phones, frowning, before they compared screens. And then they were smiling.

"I'll make the coffee," she said.

He smiled in response before kissing her. "Deal. I'll drive."

**~ Song Five: **_**Drive (Album Version)**_** by Incubus from **_**Make Yourself**_

"Please, just tell me he's okay?" Stella had practically run right out of her car almost before she had put the vehicle in park.

Don let out a heavy sigh. "No one's telling me anything, Stell, but he took a bullet to the shoulder." Seeing her worried and upset eyes, he added, "He's a fighter, Stella. I'm sure he'll be alright."

She shook her head. "That's not good enough."

Don quickly put a hand on her shoulder and guided her to a seat along the wall of the hallway, sitting her down before sitting beside her. "C'mon, Stell… This is Mac we're talking about. He'll be fine."

Stella sighed softly, racing a hand through her hair and looking over at him. "Where were you two when it happened?"

He sighed softly and shook his head a bit. "We were clearing the address," he said after a moment. "Danny and I covered the rest of the area and we thought we were all clear and that's when we heard the shot."

She bit at her lip and nodded her head a bit as she laced her fingers tightly together out in front of her. "He's gonna be fine… He'll be fine."


End file.
